Over a year ago, the Occupy movement exploded as major news outlets began covering the Occupy Wall Street protest in New York City’s Zuccotti Park. The protest quickly spread around the world in less than a month, but the movement has lost steam over the past year as authorities have cleared out all of the major Occupy camps around the country.

While the movement has largely dropped out of public consciousness, Occupy protestors in cities around the world remain determined to have their voices heard, which raises the the question, is the Occupy movement over, or can it still make a difference?

So far, Occupy hasn’t led to any clear, quantifiable change in the American financial sector, which appears to be the movement’s main goal. The goals and demands page of occupyaustin.org details the movement’s purpose: essentially, to protect the majority of Americans from the reckless, greedy actions of corporations and the super-rich.

Since the movement began, the Dow Jones Industrial Average has gained more than 14 percent, a pretty clear sign that Occupy has not done much in the way of prying American institutions and society from the greedy hands of the capitalist pigs.

Clearly, the financial inequality Occupy has fought so hard to curb is still rampant, as major American corporations like aerospace giant Hawker Beechcraft are continuing to sell to investors overseas, putting the responsibility of employee pensions on the federal government and bringing in massive bonuses for executives.

While the measurable impact of Occupy is virtually nonexistent, the movement is far from over, and Occupiers have been extremely successful in making the income inequality in America a topic of public discourse.

All major social revolutions in American history have begun with one thing: awareness. After the public becomes aware of a social injustice or inequality, people begin to discuss and debate new ideas, creating a polarized climate where change becomes not only possible but necessary for the survival of the country.

Occupy is about progress through change generated by the masses–the 99 percent. It is unreasonable to expect major, quantifiable changes to occur in the span of a year. Occupy is about disseminating information, forcing the country to look at something that most would rather deny exists, choosing instead to believe in the fantasy of a classless America.

The Occupy movement has had a great impact on the way that the public views American society and it will continue to be influential going forward. It is one of the most important social movements of this century.

By shedding light on the income inequality in the United States, Occupiers are beginning the next phase of American social evolution, a challenging and exciting process that will hopefully lead to a more peaceful society in which all people have equal access to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.